Shah Alam and the Blue Mosque
Shah Alam — the capital of the state of Selangor, Malaysia 🇲🇾 — is located in just 25 km from Kuala Lumpur. It's easy to get to the city by catching a KTM Komuter train. The ride takes about half an hour. The cost is just one or two ringgits (less than a dollar).
When we got to the city, after resolving the affairs we had to attend to, we attempted to go for a walk. But that idea failed since we were only surrounded by heavy traffic streets. (Which is quite typical for Malaysia 🇲🇾 and Asia in general, with people moving around mainly by cars and motorcycles.) Therefore, we took a taxi straight to the local landmark, the Blue Mosque. It is the country's largest mosque, with the gorgeous name Masjid Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz in Malay language.
To our great surprise, we have been awaited 😎.
As it turned out, everything has been prepared and provided free of charge for tourists who want to visit the mosque. I was asked to put on a loose robe and a headscarf 🧕🏻, and then we were sent on an excursion with a volunteer guide.
Our guide, Farez, appeared to be an accommodating communicator. He answered all our questions about Islam, the Quran, and the life of the Muslim community. He showed us the entire mosque; at our request, we attended the general prayer together; on parting, he even treated us to a coconut drink.
Our visit to the mosque ended up being very dense. The sensations of the experience lingered with us for at least a few more days.
There appeared to be a park next to the mosque and a historical museum with free admission. We also found a bus station nearby.
Summarizing, all in all, a trip to the area can become a pretty nice one-day trip from Kuala Lumpur.
